Russia launched almost 300 drones and 69 missiles overnight in one of the largest aerial attacks since the war began, Ukraine said, with three siblings among 12 people killed. This latest onslaught has prompted Donald Trump's envoy to call for a ceasefire "now".
Monday 26 May 2025 00:03, UK
But we'll be back soon with more from the battlefield and diplomatic sphere.
You can tap through the key points above for a catch up of the main things you need to know from today.
We're just hearing from Donald Trump now.
He says he is "not happy" with what Vladimir Putin is doing - "killing a lot of people".
"I don't know what the hell happened to Putin," he says.
"I've known him a long time. I always gotten along with him. But he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it."
He adds: "I don't like what Putin is doing. Not even a little bit. He's killing people. And something happened to this guy, and I don't like it."
He's also "absolutely" considering sanctions on Russia.
Ukraine's air force is warning of more drones over the country.
Waves have been reported across the country, including the Sumy, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.
In Kharkiv, the local governor said "every new night is a test of strength".
"The enemy does not stop shelling," Oleg Synegubov said on the Telegram messaging app.
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine hold heaven and earth."
There are air raid alerts over more than half the country right now.
China supplies Russia's military factories, according to the head of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service.
In an interview with Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, Oleh Ivashchenko said: "There is information that China supplies machine tools, special chemicals, gunpowder and components specifically to military enterprises.
"We have confirmed data on 20 Russian factories."
The full interview has not been published yet.
Germany's military must be fully equipped by 2029, the country's chief of defence has ordered.
Why by 2029? Because that's when NATO officials believe Russia may have reconstituted its forces enough to attack the alliance's territory.
That's all according to a document seen by Reuters news agency, which was signed by defence chief Carsten Breuer on 19 May.
In the document, Breuer sets priorities for the weapons that should be developed most urgently.
Among them, he lists the strengthening of Germany's depleted air defences, in particular with a view to intercepting drones.
Another priority is a capability to launch deep precision strikes, effectively hitting targets far behind enemy lines.
We've just spoken to a Ukrainian MP who lives in Kyiv and took shelter during Russia's attack overnight.
As we reported earlier, Donald Trump's envoy for Ukraine condemned that onslaught as "shameful" and called for a "ceasefire now" (see 17.32).
Responding to those comments, Kira Rudik has told us she wants the US to "switch from the statements to actions".
"Ukraine has done everything by the book, whatever President Trump wanted from us or demands from us, we have completed," she told our presenter Barbara Serra.
"We have signed the very rare minerals deal, we had agreed to a ceasefire - when there was an offer to go to Turkey to a negotiation, President Zelenskyy has done it."
Kyiv has done "everything" to get a ceasefire that is "obviously" not happening, she said.
"So we hope that President Trump, who has promised peace through strength, will stop appeasing Russia and hoping and playing with the illusion that Russia is ready to negotiate," she added.
"Start providing more military support to Ukraine and at the same time [pressure] Russia with more sanctions in terms of the economy.
"And Europe needs to stand with the United States on that."
Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine warrant additional Western sanctions, Germany's foreign minister has said.
Speaking to broadcaster ARD, Johann Wadephul said: "Putin is not interested in peace, he wants to continue this war, and we must not allow this, which is why the European Union will agree additional sanctions."
Those additional sanctions are already in the works, according to the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who said this week it's "time to intensify pressure".
The bloc had just agreed its 17th round of measures when she made those remarks.
Several Ukrainian drones have been reported flying towards Moscow.
The Russian capital's mayor has posted a series of messages on social media app Telegram, claiming each time a drone had been detected.
Each time, Sergei Sobyanin said the drone had been shot down or repelled.
"The Ministry of Defence's air defence shot down another UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] flying toward Moscow," he said in his last post.
He also said rescue services are at crash sites, where the drones were downed.
These reports have not been independently verified.
A reaction now from Washington, after a huge Russian attack on Ukraine killed at least 12 people and injured dozens overnight.
Donald Trump's envoy for the country, Keith Kellogg, has come out on social media to condemn Moscow's bombing.
"The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents," he wrote.
"These attacks are shameful. Stop the Killing. Ceasefire now."
Away from Ukraine, Kyiv may well have half an eye on another election coming up in Europe.
Last week, Romania went to the polls with the choice of a pro-Europe candidate or a hard-right Donald Trump supporter.
That one went the way Kyiv and Brussels would have hoped, but some attentions may now turn to Poland, where presidential elections take place next week.
While it won't affect Prime Minister Donald Tusk's position - and he is an outspoken supporter of Ukraine - the identity of the next president is seen as key to his plans to reform the judiciary at home.
It's also a chance for the Polish public to weigh in on the country's approach to foreign affairs.
Tens of thousands of people took the streets of Warsaw today to show support for the rival candidates - liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and nationalist Karol Nawrocki.
Nawrocki's voters, some wearing hats with the words "Poland is the most important", gathered to show support for his drive to align Poland more closely with Trump's policies.
At Trzaskowski's march, the newly-elected Romanian president Nicusor Dan pledged to work closely with Tusk and Trzaskowski "to ensure Poland and the European Union remain strong".
The election takes place on 1 June.
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